Surprisingly, the first Arbor Day was not held in a heavily forested part of the United States, but in Nebraska, known for its treeless prairies. In 1872, J. Sterling Morton, more »
Category: Natural and Physical Sciences
This post was written by Joanna Shuker, an intern working on the World of Maps project during Fall 2018. It is one of two complementary features. Please also read Melissa more »
This post was written by John Powell, Exhibit Developer/Writer with Smithsonian Exhibits. It first appeared on the Smithsonian Exhibits blog. Last year, Smithsonian Libraries celebrated its 50th anniversary as more »
Help us enhance information in Wikipedia about women in natural history during our Wikipedia Editing Workshop on 13 March in celebration of Women’s History Month! In collaboration with the Biodiversity more »
Should you happen to spot—say, in a yard sale, thrift store or grandparent’s house—an old copy of that classic of ornithological literature, A Field Guide to the Birds, have a close look. The first printing of the first edition of 1934 is calling for prices well over $10,000 in the antiquarian book trade. One was recently spied by keen-eyed staff in an office at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park. This volume has been transferred to a more suitable habitat, the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History, for cataloging, preservation, research access, and education. Curator Leslie Overstreet has gathered from branch libraries three others of this title to include in the rare book library’s holdings.
My favorite chronicler of natural and cultural histories in early America is Englishman John Josselyn. He was a curious and good-humored observer of the 17th-century inhabitants of northern New England, more »
The Smithsonian Libraries presents a new exhibition, “Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation,” at the National Museum of Natural History beginning Oct. 4. “Game Change” will be on display more »